Life-boat.



L. LA PONTAINE.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLIOATIONIILED MAR.15, 191s.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mtwses. Inventar.

yfijiw W THE NORRIS PETERS CO..FHOTC'L1THO., WASHINGTON D. c.

L. LA FONTAINE.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1913.

1,130,301 Patented Mar. 2,1915.

2 sHEETssHBET 2.

mine/53w; Inventor.

NORRIS PETERS co., FHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON.

Lnoii LA noN'rAInn, or 'rononro, ONTARIO, camera.

LIFEBOAT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEON LA Fon'ramn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life- Boats, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to life boats of the type in which a passenger car is suspended within a cylindrical or approximately cylindrical hull or shell, whereby the passenger car is adapted to retain its normal position independent of the rolling or capsizing of the said hull or shell of the life boat.

The objects of this invention are, to provide a life boat of this type, the construction of which is strong while the weight of the same is reduced to a minimum, and to provide means whereby the passenger car may retain its normal position independent of the oscillation or capsizing of the outer shell of the life boat, the strain and weight of the said passenger car being distributed around the girders or ribs of the outer hull or shell of the life boat.

A further object is to provide means whereby the said passenger car may be locked to the outer shell of the vessel when the same is floating in calm water.

A further object is to provide ventilators and look-out windows upon the outer hull or shell of the life boat which ventilators and look-out windows are adapted to be operated manually or automatically closing upon the rolling or capsizing of the outer shell of the vessel.

A still further object is to provide collapsible platforms upon the outer side of the vessel to serve the purpose of a life raft, and also to protect the said sides of the vessel from injury when coming into contact with any obstacle, and a still further object is to provide the outer hull or shell of the vessel with a heel which will be very efiicient at the same time having considerably less weight than the ordinary solid keel.

The invention consists essentially of a novel construction and arrangement of the parts or" the life boat, particularly with a view to ei ecting these objects, and is more fully described in the following specification, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 15, 1913. Serial 1? 0. 754,656.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Figure is a perspective view of the life boat having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2'is a'verticalsection view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the forward end of the life boat. Fig. 4: is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of part of the life boat showing means for effecting the'automatio closing of the look-out windows upon the rolling or capsizing of the outer shell'of the vessel. Fig. 6 is asectional view of one of the ventilatorsalso showing the automatic closing means. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing means for suspending the passenger car from the girders or ribs of the outer shell of the vessel. Fig.8 is a detail view of the trunnion at one end of the passenger car, Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view of the keel of the vessel. 1

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts inthe several figures of the drawings. I j

1 is the cylindrical or approximately cylindrical hull or shell of the life boat, and has conical front and rear ends of the outer shell of the life boat being partitioned 03 from the cylindrical body of the same by means of walls or partitions 4: and-5 respectively. j v

6 is a'passenger car suspended within the outer shell 1, and is adapted'to remain stationary while the outer shelll is revoluble around the same. l V

The outer hull or shell of the vessel is provided with a plurality of annular ribs or girders 7, which serve the purpose of strengthening the vessel also to form tracks or races upon which rollers 8 may work for the purpose herein after described.

The passenger car 6 is approximately semi-cylindrical in shape, or of such shape as will allow the outer shell of the vessel to revolve upon its axis without coming into contact with the sides of the said passenger car 6. The upper. side of the passenger car is opened as is clearly illustrated in Fig. i of the drawings, and the said car is providedwith a plurality of rings 9, said rings -.being preferably T shaped in cross section. These rings serve to strengthen the walls of the passenger car 6 and are also adapted to carry the rollers 8, which said rollers 8 may bearranged at different points around the said annular rings, and are adapted .to bear upon the inner surface of the annular ribs or girders 7 upon the outer shell of the vessel, whereby the said outer shell 1 of the life boat may revolve upon its axis without disturbing the position of the passenger car within same. By these means the rolling or capsizing of the hull or outer shell of the life boat owing to a rough sea is not transmitted to the passenger car 6 which remains in an upright position.

'l he annular ribs upon the outer shell may be of a U shaped section if so desired in which case the said rollers 3 would bear upon the bottom of said U shaped rib the pressure being in such case exerted outwardly against the outer shell of the vessel.

When the vessel is floating in calm water, it may be desirable to lock the passenger car to the outer shell, and this may be elfected by any suitable locking means such as bolts, pins, or the like, and in the drawings hooks 10 are shown for this purpose.

Suitable look-outs 11 and 12 may be provided in the conical ends 2 and 3 respectively of the vessel and may be arranged so that the protecting glass or the like may be removed when desired for purposes of ventilation.

A search light 13 may be used as a distress signal or to assist the maneuvering of the vessel at night. i

The life boat is adapted to be driven by a gasolene or other engine 1% the exhaust pipe 15 of which extends axially through the rear end of the passenger car and through the rear end of the outer shell of the boat.

16 is a loose sleeve surrounding the said exhaust pipe 15 and is adapted to revolve around the same, the said sleeve being journaled in suitable hearings in the end of the passenger car 6, and in the partition 5 which are shown in Figs. 2 and 8 as being ball-bearings 17. The sleeve 16 around exhaust pipe 15 is adapted to have sprocket wheels 18 and 20 mounted thereon, the said sprocket wheel 18 being driven from the sprocket wheel 19 upon the engine driving shaft by means of a chain. The sprocket wheel 20 upon the said sleeve 16 within the conical end 3 of the outer shell of the boat is adapted to transmit the drive to the sprocket wheel 21 upon the propeller shaft 22 through the medium of a chain 23. These sprocket wheels and chains may of course be replaced by their mechanical equivalents such as spur wheels and pin ions, but by means of the arrangement described the carrying of spare parts to be used in cases of breakage or the like is greatly facilitated as both the weight and bulk of the same may be reduced, and the said spur wheels may be interchangeable with one another.

A suitable rudder 24 is provided at the stern of the vessel, and is adapted to be operated by means of the hand wheel 25 the shaft of which is journaled in suitable bearings on the partition 5 of the vessel and the rudder is operated through the medium of the spur wheel and chain 26 and 27 and the bevel gearing 28.

The forward end of the passenger car 6 is preferably provided with a trunnion 29 which may be tubular for the purpose of allowing the space in the forward end 2 of the outer shell of the vessel to be used for the purpose of carrying drinking water, electric batteries or the like therein, in which case pipes, wires or the like would be carried through said hollow trunnion for the desired purpose.

The trunnion 29 may be dispensed with if thought necessary or desirable and a door or doors could be used allowing access to the said forward end 2 of the vessel, which arrangement of doors is likewise applicable to the rear end 3 of the vessel.

To permit access to the interior of the vessel the outer hull or shell is provided with suitable sliding or other doors 30 of sutlicient area to allow the admission of persons, the said doors 30 being water tight when closed. The outer side of the vessel is also provided with platforms 31 and 32 the platform 31 forming the upper side of the box like compartment 33 extending approximately throughout the length of the cylindrical part of the outer shell of the boat and having therein the look-out windows 34.

The platforms 32 are hinged and adapted to turn upwardly should the vessel come in contact with any obstacle and thereby prevent damage to the said platform while at the same time protecting the hull or shell of the vessel. Suitable life lines 35 are also provided on the outside of the said hull of the vessel.

The windows 34 are adapted to be opened for the purpose of ventilation and may be closed manually if so desired. It is, however, essential that should the outer shell of the boat capsize, the said look-out windows 1: should be closed to prevent access of water to the boat, and means are provided for effecting the automatic closing of the said look out windows upon the undue rolling or capsizing of the hull or outer shell of the boat, the said means being clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

he look-out windows 3% are situated within the box like compartments 33, one of which compartments is situated on each side :of the outer shell of the boat. The said compartments 33 have outer openings, 36, and

inner openings 37 in the cylindrical surface Y of the outer shell of the vessel which forms the inner sides of the said box like compartments 33. The look-out windows 3% are hinged at their lower ends to the lower parts of the openings 37 and provided with swinglOO ing arms 38 having at their outer or free ends rollers or the like 39.

40 are upwardly extending arms secured to the inner side of the outer shell of the boat the upper ends of which arms are provided with suitable pins which extend through a slot 41 in the said arms 38 and 42 are springs under compression between the windows 34 and the said upwardly extending arms 40.

It will readily be seen that the springs 42 effect the forcing of the windows 34 outwardly upon their hinges and holding the same in their open position. Upon the undue rolling of the outer shell of the vessel to an extent liable to bring the windows near the water in which the vessel floats, the projecting ends of the arms 38 will come into contact with the side of the passenger car 6 which will effect the forcing upward of the free ends of the said arms 38 and the consequent closing of the windows 34 over the openings 37, and a spring latch 43 is provided which will effect the locking of the window in such closed position. The latch 43 may be operated manually to effect the opening of the said window when desired.

The lower part of the compartment 33 is provided with suitable openings therein to allow the escape of Water from the said compartment.

44 are ventilators situated in the upper part of the hull or outer shell of the life boat and are held in their open position, against the action of springs 45, by means. of pivoted levers 46 which may be provided with rollers at their lower ends if desired. These levers are adapted to come into contact with the side of the passenger car 6 when the outer shell of the boat oscillates to any extent liable to allow water to enter the said ventilators. and the said levers 46 being turned on their pivot by reason of such contact with the side of passenger car 6, the ventilators will close by reason of the springs 45 being in tension.

47 is a man hole in the lower part of the outer shell of the boat and is adapted to be opened from the inside so that if the life lboat be beached up side down, escape from the same may be effected through said man hole. Several of these man holes may be provided if so desired.

The keel 48 of the vessel consists of an obtuse ll-shaped device fitted to the lower side of the outer shell of the vessel and is preferably divided longitudinally by means of a wall or partition 49, the ends of the said V- shaped keel being open and allowing the ac cess of water to longitudinal compartments. The keel may be also provided with vanes 50 on either side of the same to act as resisting means to the water for the purpose of preventing the rolling of the outer shell of the vessel. \Vith this keel ballast is obtained by means of the weight of water in the longitudinal compartments inclosed by the same and which can only escape at either end while the actual head resistance of the keel is comparatively slight and does not materially interfere with the forward progress of the boat through the water.

By the means described a life boat is pro vi ded of a minimum weight but having great strength to resist storms or the like, and excellent ventilation is provided Without the danger of water gaining access through the said ventilating means should the outer shell of the boat suddenly capsize.

The passenger car 6 may be provided with any suitable arrangement of seats or the like and provisions may be stored in the said passenger car also in any available space in the conical ends of the outer shell of the boat if so desired.

Artificial light may be obtained by means of batteries or from a dynamo driven by the engine, or any other suitable means.

W'ith a boat. of this description the utmost comfort is alfordedto the passengers with a minimum of danger and the life boat is adapted to float in high seas Without possibility of being filled with water and by reason of the platforms upon the outer side of the hull or outer shell of the vessel the same can be used as a life raft and a large number of people accommodated thereon in cases of emergency.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from the essential features thereof and it is desired that the specification and drawings be read as being merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense except as necessitated by theprior art.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a life boat comprising an outer shell provided with window apertures, hinged closures for said window apertures, means for normally holding said hinged closures in an open position, a passenger car suspended within said outer shell and freely rotatable with respect thereto, means operated by the rotation of said passenger car for closing said Window closures, and a keel for said boat.

2. In a life boat comprising an outer shell, a passenger car suspended within said outer shell and rotatable with respect thereto, a

hollow ll-shaped keel extending longitudi-- nallv on the lower side of said outer shell, said keel beingopen at either end, radially disposed vanes at either side of said keel and extending continuously therealong, a dividing plate extending centrally within said keel, means for propelling said boat, and means for controlling the direction of prog ress of said boat.

3. In a life boat comprising an outer shell, partitions at either end of said outer shell, a

passenger car suspended Within said outer shell between said partitions and rotatable with respect to said outer shell, a hollow ll-shaped keel extending longitudinally on the lower side of the said outer shell, said keel being open at either end, radially disposed vanes at either side of said keel and extending continuously therealong', a dividing plate extending centrally Within said heel, means for propelling said boat, and means for controlling the direction or" progress of said boat.

4. In a life boat comprising an outer shell, provided with Window apertures, hinged closures for said Window apertures, a passcnger oar suspended Within said outer shell and rotatable With respect thereto, and means operated by the rotation of said passenger car for closing said Window closures.

5. In a life boat comprising an outer shell, a passenger car suspended Within said outer shell, a hollow V-shaped keel on the lower side of the outer shell, said keel being open at either end, radially disposed protective vanes at either side of said keel and a dividing plate extending centrally Within said V-shaped keel.

6. In a life boat comprising an outer shell provided With Window apertures, hinged closures for said Window apertures, aper- I February, 1913.

LEON LA FONTAINE. In the presence o1 T. Llerrrroor,

J. GRAY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

